


Once Upon a Time

by ALilyPea (alilypea)



Series: Carlos Reyes Week 2021 [6]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28937568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alilypea/pseuds/ALilyPea
Summary: What if Carlos met TK while on vacation in New York before they both became first responders?
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Carlos Reyes Week 2021 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2114865
Comments: 34
Kudos: 109
Collections: Carlos Reyes Week 2021





	Once Upon a Time

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and for all your kindness on previous works I've posted and written. 
> 
> Also, yeah, this is probably going to have a sequel or be part of a series. 
> 
> Written for _January 23 - Day 6: What if? / AU_ at [Carlos Reyes Week](https://carlosreyesweek.tumblr.com/post/631367369198092288/announcing-carlos-reyes-week)

“You should go talk to him,” Carlos’s roommate nudged him, then when Carlos looked at him, he jerked his head toward the guy at the bar. “When’s the next time you’re going to be in New York? We’re about to go on the beat; we’re going to be stuck in squad cars or at our desks for years. How many men like that are you going to find in Austin?” 

Carlos took a sip of his beer. He’d liked New York so far; they were there for a couple of weeks until they officially started as members of Austin PD, celebrating along with attending an event put on by the National Police Foundation. He just wasn’t sure about spending his time hooking up with people in a city he didn’t know all that well. 

“He looks saaad,” Adam told him and nudged him again. “Looks like he got stood up.” 

“You’re an ass,” Carlos shook his head and laughed. “Fine, I’ll go say hi, but if he ends up taken, I blame you.” He picked up his beer and walked toward the bar, looking more confident than he felt. 

“You look like you’re having a bad night,” he said as he walked around the guy and smiled when he settled against the bar. He resisted the urge to startle when those piercing eyes turned on him and instead found the tension in his shoulders releasing. “Hey.”

The guy smiled and shrugged one shoulder, playing with the label on his sparkling water. “How could you tell?” 

“Shoulders hunched, looking around as if waiting for someone,” Carlos replied and bit his bottom lip. “Someone like you shouldn’t look like that.” 

The guy smiled wider, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he did so, and Carlos gripped the edge of the bar. “Someone like me?” 

“You’re beautiful,” Carlos couldn’t help but say it and blushed when the guy laughed. “Please tell me you’re not going to punch me.” 

“Why would I punch someone who told me I’m beautiful? I’ve never been told that before,” The guy held out his hand. “I’m TK. And you’re not so bad yourself.” 

“Carlos,” he shook TK’s hand, enjoying the warmth of his skin and the strength of his grip. “Thanks,” he could tell his face was still warm and reached up to drag his fingers through his curls, trying to calm himself and smiled a bit when he noticed TK’s eyes followed his movements. 

As awkward as he could sometimes be, he was glad TK was taking notice. 

“I got stood up,” TK admitted, then sipped his water. “This guy I’ve been seeing, I think I’m more into it than he is. All he does is complain about my career choice.” 

“Doesn’t sound worth it to me, a guy that won’t support your dream. I assume it’s your dream,” Carlos sat down and pushed his stool a bit closer, their knees knocking together lightly. 

“It’s **a** dream,” TK replied, that small smile still playing at the corner of his lips. “I’m going to be a member of the NYFD in about a month.” 

“No shit,” Carlos exclaimed and reached out to pat TK on the shoulder. “Good for you; FD training is hard; it takes a lot to get through it. You must be a hard worker.” 

TK’s smile widened, and his eyes shone. “It is hard, and I have worked hard to get there. I even beat my dad’s scores. Alex thinks it’s stupid, says I’m just trying to prove something to my father or something.” 

“Alex sounds like an idiot; if you went that hard obviously it’s what you’re meant to do,” Carlos told him, then gestured to the bar. “Can I get you another water?” He asked and flagged down the bartender, grabbing two bottles when he could. 

“Thanks, had enough,” TK gestured to Carlos’ beer. 

“I’m not a big drinker,” Carlos replied as he shrugged, he’d done enough of it in college with Iris and could still remember the morning Michelle had offered to give them both banana bags. That was enough for him to want to quit. “I like to be in control.” He realized how that sounded and blushed a little.

“Do you?” TK asked, fingers playing with the cap on his new bottle of water. 

“Are you flirting with me?” Carlos asked, resting his head on his hand, an elbow rested on the bar.

“That depends. Is it working?” TK arched an eyebrow. 

Carlos smiled and bobbed his head in a nod, “Oh, it’s working. It worked from over there; I just had to hope you’d be just my type.” 

“And what’s your type, Carlos?” TK leaned in so he could look him in the eye.

Carlos looked straight back, “Good looking, gorgeous eyes, funny and heroic.” He grinned when TK blushed and laughed. “What about you?” 

“Curls are good,” TK replied. “Deep brown eyes that feel like home, lips that look like they were made for kissing. Someone kind enough to check on a perfect stranger in the middle of a crowded bar in NY and respectful enough that they would’ve left if I’d asked them to.” 

Carlos laughed and bowed his head, covering his face for a moment. “You’re killing me, novio, and I don’t even know your last name.” 

“You play your cards right, and you’ll know my full name soon enough. TK Strand,” he reintroduced himself, pressing a hand to his chest. “But I’ll respond to sweetheart too.”

Fuck, Carlos was screwed. Completely and utterly. TK was everything he’d hoped for as a gay teen growing up in Texas in one gorgeous package. It was like he’d been ripped from the pages of Carlos’ poetry book he’d held so near when he was much younger and prone to sharing his emotions. 

“Yeah, I speak a bit of Spanish,” TK smirked at him and reached out, taking Carlos’ hand in his. “You’re not from around here, are you?” 

Carlos shook his head and let out a soft, embarrassed laugh as he studied the way their hands looked together, noticing a couple of TK’s nails were painted a dark, glittery blue. “I like your nails.” 

“Thank you; I did them myself. What’s your last name, where you from?” 

“Austin Texas,” Carlos replied and smiled ruefully when TK winced exaggeratedly. “Reyes is my last name. First-generation.”

“Austin, huh?” TK shook his head. “Can’t say I’ve ever ventured out that far, or admittedly, wanted to,” he bit his bottom lip. “How long are you in town for?” 

“Two weeks tomorrow, we leave,” Carlos explained. “I’m taking a couple of weeks after this work conference until I start my new job. I have some family here, and I’ve always wanted to visit the city and see the sights.” 

TK nodded his head, keeping Carlos’ hand in his as he listened to him. “Do you need someone to show you around?” 

Carlos resisted the urge to drag TK out of the bar right then, his face impassive as he thought it over. “I could be a serial killer, you know.”

TK laughed and squeezed his hand. “Would a serial killer call me sweetheart, encourage me to follow my dreams and buy me a water, cap fully sealed?” 

Carlos grinned and squeezed back. “Probably not, but I just feel like as a future member of the Austin PD, I should warn you about stranger danger.”

“Consider me warned, Officer,” TK stood up. “Why don’t we go give your friend my number, he can take a picture of me, and then we can get out of here; I know a great place for dancing.” 

Carlos stood too and pushed enough cash across the bar to cover both of their tabs and stood as well. He figured it was a bit overkill, but he stopped by his former table and gave Adam TK’s number and felt embarrassed as his friend took a picture of the two of them together. 

The two of them spilled out into the night moments later, and Carlos took a deep breath in. 

“Not the fresh air you’re used to, I’d imagine,” TK laughed, and his voice was softer now, a bit hoarse. 

Carlos shook his head, “Not really. A bit more...sharp too, in the winter.” He wasn’t quite sure how to explain it and followed TK as the other man started walking, tugging Carlos behind him. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. 

“Do you want to stop somewhere else before dancing then?” TK asked him. “Somewhere to warm you up, first?” 

“Are you offering?” Carlos grinned at the look TK shot him, maybe later then. “What’re you thinking of?” 

“Well, now I’m thinking about all the ways I could warm you up,” TK nudged him as they walked next to each other, huddling toward each other for warmth. “Hot chocolate, lots of marshmallows?” 

Carlos hummed and tugged TK a little bit closer, slinging an arm around his shoulders; he grinned at him. “Sounds like my perfect idea of a date.” 

“Good, I want to take you somewhere special,” TK replied, his arm wrapping around Carlos’ waist as he led them down the street to their destination. 

\-----

“Sorry, gentleman,” The barista stood next to the table, towel in her hands. “We’ve got to close, so you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.” She looked like she felt almost guilty about it. 

“Oh god,” TK spoke first. “I’m so sorry,” he hopped up and dug in his pocket for his wallet, pushing a few bills in her direction. “We didn’t realize.”

Carlos smiled at her, then glanced at TK, feeling like he’d spent too long in the sun or something. He felt good; he’d forgotten what it was like just to sit and talk with someone—especially someone who seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say. 

“Thank you,” he told her with a soft voice before he turned to help TK with his jacket, stifling a yawn against his arm. 

“Time to split up?” TK asked, sounding as sad as Carlos felt at that moment. “Little early or late for dancing.”

Carlos smiled at him and placed a hand on his lower back as they walked outside; he tugged his phone out of his pocket. “I can walk you home; Adam met someone, and we’re sharing a hotel room.” He huffed out a laugh. 

“I don’t know, serial killer, there’s a lot of white in my apartment, and I’d hate to have to inconvenience the next tenant with all the bloodstains,” TK snickered when Carlos gave him a look. “Sure, you can walk me home.”

“Are you sure you’re not the serial killer?” Carlos asked as he gravitated back to TK and found himself wrapped around the firefighter again, though TK didn’t seem to be complaining too much with how he huddled close. 

“99.5 percent sure, it’s just the .05 left that you have to worry about,” TK replied as he jostled Carlos playfully. 

“Good to know,” Carlos squeezed him lightly and enjoyed the solid warmth of TK against his side. “I think I could take you.”

“You’re going to take me, huh?” TK looked delighted when Carlos blushed. “But we just met, Carlos; what would your mama think?”

Carlos was beginning to regret telling TK about his family, but he couldn’t help but snicker. “What she doesn’t know…”

“You told me that you thought she was psychic,” TK as he led Carlos down into the subway tunnel and helped him get settled in in one of the cars. “You look nervous.” 

“Not used to this,” Carlos explained, gesturing between then and then around them. “Austin is small; for all that it’s big, and well, you’re pretty...amazing.” 

“It’s all shine and glamour,” TK told him, looking the most serious he’d been all night. “Everyone has problems, Carlos; some of us just like to hide them at first.” 

Carlos looked into his eyes and reached up, cupping his jaw gently; he turned TK’s face away from him and brushed his lips across his cheek. He could see pain there, and he hadn’t had a charmed life either. Not growing up the way he did, being who he was.

He didn’t want to push, but part of him wanted to uncover everything TK was and protect him from anything that might hurt him. 

“You don’t have to tell me, we just met. But I’d be stupid if I told you that I didn’t want this to go somewhere,” he told TK, uncaring that anyone around them might see. At that moment, he felt invincible. “I leave in two weeks, but I don’t want to leave you behind as just a memory.”

He was asking a lot. Maybe too much, but his Mama had always taught him to be truthful to himself. 

“I don’t want to be just a memory either,” TK replied, grasping both of Carlos’ hands in his and squeezing tight. “Spend the night?” 

Carlos bit his bottom lip then grinned at him, “Sounds good to me.” He wanted TK, but he knew that wouldn’t happen tonight, and he didn’t want it to. He didn’t want this just to be some hookup he remembered years from now with a cute guy he met in New York City once upon a time. 

\-----

Carlos woke up slowly, squinting; he reached for his pillow to cover his face only to hear the distinct noise of someone laughing at him. Right. TK. 

“You okay there?” TK ran a hand up and down his back, and Carlos wiggled into his touch. “You didn’t seem to be drinking too much, but we were up pretty late.”

Carlos rolled over slowly and smiled at TK. “How do you look this good in the morning?” He blushed when TK laughed again. “Why can’t I control my mouth around you?” 

“I don’t know, but I like it; it’s charming,” TK told him, reaching out he carefully ruffled Carlos’ curls. “You’re a cuddler.”

Carlos nodded, having been told that before he waited for TK to complain, and his smile widened when TK slipped down in the bed and into his arms. He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh as he wrapped himself around TK.  
“No complaints?” He asked, dropping a kiss on the top of the other man’s head, unable to believe they’d just met the night before. 

“My only complaint is that you don’t live in New York,” TK murmured against his chest, the feeling of his breath against Carlos’ bare skin causing goosebumps to form.

“My only complaint is that you don’t live in Austin,” Carlos echoed, tightening his grip on TK; he closed his eyes and sighed softly. How did it hurt so much to think about losing someone he’d only just met?

“What do we do?” TK asked him, keeping his voice soft.

Carlos thought for a moment. “You have my cell phone number; I have yours; there’s video calls.” 

TK pulled back and beamed down at him, “You really want to try?” 

Carlos cupped TK’s cheek gently and looked into his eyes, warmth flooding him as he did so. He stroked his skin with his thumb and smiled up at him. “I think we’d be idiots not to.” He drew TK down into a kiss, uncaring about morning breath or the fact that the sun pouring onto the bed made it a little too warm. 

Carlos Reyes was half in love for the first time in his life, and he wasn’t about to let go.


End file.
